Buying or selling a business or company involves many risks, complexities and demands for even experienced business people.

Our mergers and acquisitions specialists help guide vendors and purchasers, and manage the transaction efficiently and effectively to deliver the best commercial results, while reducing risks and identifying opportunities.

We offer a partner led service with the expert systems and expertise you would expect from a much larger firm. Our mergers and acquisitions specialist partners are closely involved with each transaction so that our clients get the benefit of partner expertise continuously, not just occasionally. Our clients find this to be of great comfort in what can often be a stressful and complex process.

Our team has significant experience in a wide variety of transactions for both New Zealand and international clients. While our team has recently acted on transactions worth over $100 million, we regularly act on a range of transactions for privately-held and family-owned clients and, small to medium-sized transactions for corporate clients.

Sale and purchase of businesses experience

Advising on the sale of a leading Australasian foreign exchange/currency services company as part of the sale of the Australasian and English group to a Nasdaq listed purchaser.

Advising a meat retailer on the sale and (as promoter) “back-door” listing of its business on the NZX main board.

Assisting with the sale of a New Zealand television production company to an Australian company.

Assisting a client to purchase an engineering business including acting as project manager for the transaction.

Advising on the sale and merger of a client’s ice cream company with that of another, similar business.

Assisting an Australian client to purchase the shares in a New Zealand time-share business (and subsidiaries).

Assisting with the purchase of a majority shareholding in a company in which the client already had a minority stake.

Negotiating the sale of a client’s intellectual property to a competing business.

Assisting a client to purchase a supermarket business franchise including advising on the franchise and leasing documentation.

Advising a private-equity owned manufacturer on the purchase of another manufacturing business and assets.

Advising on the purchase of a minority shareholding in a newly established brewery.

Advising an individual investor on his acquisition of a majority shareholding in a premium grocery retailer.

Advising a family-owned winemaker on the exit from a joint venture with an Australian brewer in relation to the ownership and operation of a New Zealand wine processing facility.

Advising a privately-held food manufacturer on the acquisition of a food manufacturing business and on entering into a joint venture with one of the vendors.

Privately-held and family-owned business clients
For our privately-held and family-owned business clients, our business law team works closely with our personal client team to support and guide business owners to structure and protect their assets, and assist with their personal and family legal needs. More...

Corporate clients
We advise corporate clients on both their day-to-day legal issues and small to medium-sized transactions. Our business law partners bring big firm expertise, service and systems while providing the appropriate level of partner involvement, not just occasionally, but continuously.More...